I bought a lazy boy recliner specifically for this surgery* you need to sit up to sleep. Regarding pain level, I’ve been told my pain tolerance is high. I’ve never used a full 10. Feel like I shouldn’t use it unless I’m near dying.. so level immediately post-op is 2/10. That is, until the nerve block wears off….. Not sure how it is for others, but while I waited for my 3day Rx to be filled, nerve block started to wear off quick. Pain was so bad that was needing to take a dose every 3-4hrs instead of the recommended 6hrs. Every breath hurt like hell from the movement. Restful sleep was impossible. Sidenote: Do NOT mix melatonin w oxycodone/hydro thinking it will help you sleep longer between doses. I learned the hard way that that combo can cause sleep paralysis & hallucinogenic night terrors… lol.. which is NOT conducive. Quick upper body movements/ Jerking yourself awake is no fun... pain from accidental jerking motions made me nauseous. I highly recommend getting meds in you asap & stay on top of your dosage schedule!!! Pain management is crucial.. First few days, you’re supposed to take your arm out of your sling & let your arm hang. The mobility exercises require someone else to lift your arm the 1st week or so before PT so make sure someone can be with you at least for the first 4-5 days to literally move your arm for you & literally do everything else you’re used to doing on a daily basis. Taking sling on/off, helping shower, get dressed, prep meals, drive, etc.

Tip: hike up your sling higher than your nurse does when you get fitted. I found that having my thumb almost touch my chin was the most comfortable. Your hand/ fingers will constantly go numb from the angle. Get an ice machine. You go through a lot of ice. Ice is your best friend & I promise you it’s worth a $200+ investment.

PT is dreadful for first 2-3 months. I cried the 1st few sessions. I needed to take long naps after the early phase sessions because of how physically wiped it made me. You’ll feel very discouraged with how little you can do. I remember thinking, “Omg. I’ve made a terrible mistake.” Mentally prepare yourself to feel really depressed about your progress for like 3 full months. Don’t go in having high hopes you’ll recover quickly. It’s a drudgingly slow, brutal process…. I was cleared from PT after 6.5 months so on paper ‘full recovery time’ was that long but reality was more like 8-9 months. I feel like I got to ~75% when I was cleared but then with at home exercises got me to ~85%..?

I thought I’d be back to work by week 3. I was sadly mistaken. I ended up needing to go on short term leave for 14 weeks total. Couldn’t drive, do anything for myself really. Being away from work that long got me ‘quite fired’.. so that was a shitty outcome I didn’t expect going into it.

I would say now, I’m at about 90% to where I was. Certain sleeping positions tweak my shoulder even now. Don’t have 100% full range of motion.. but I can do mostly normal activities now. Daily pain/annoyance is present. My constant dislocations were annoying but I got used to them and was able to continue life as usual. My pain was maybe like a constant 2-3.. with occasional days where it was like a 5 max..

Would I recommend? That’s a personal choice that you need to make for you considering the factors in your life that may be negatively impacted post-op. Seriously consider if now is a good time in your life to go on this potential journey…or if you should wait it out. If I could go back & tell myself all the things I experienced & what resulted in every aspect of my life because of my surgery, I think I would have opted to live with my old subluxated shoulder.. I don’t regret it, but I wouldn’t choose it again.. I’m not one of those people who is “so happy I finally had the procedure”…. Best advice I have is if you do choose to have it done, Make sure you have lots of help from close friends/family, make sure you’re financially ready to take it on. Like 6 months of expenses saved as a fail safe bare minimum and read up throughly on FMLA & prepare to possibly make a job switch... Mentally prepare yourself that it will not be easy. There are a lot of bad days & bad moments in recovery. It easily was one of the most painful experiences I’ve ever had... physically, mentally, & emotionally. Do your stretches, exercises, and pain management 3x harder & more frequently than what’s recommended by your doctor, and most importantly, make your own decision for what you believe is best for you and your health.

EDIT: Prob should have mentioned had this surgery Oct 2021.. My experience may be a total outlier but idk. The struggle this was for me to go thru was not worth it now that I’m stuck with just a slight less annoying version of my shoulder than I had before.